Worcester: 2 omicron variants responsible for spike in COVID-19 infections

WORCESTER – The COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 is getting some attention nationally, but it’s a minor player in Worcester compared to two omicron strains responsible for a relative spike in local infections.  

That assessment comes from Dr. Richard Ellison, an infectious disease physician at UMass Memorial Health. The EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants are responsible for an increase in hospitalizations. Plus, a “fivefold” spike in the number of employees at UMass Memorial Health who contracted the virus.

The good news is the rate of hospitalizations is very small, compared to the peak periods during the pandemic, said Ellison. Also, the rate of admission to the intensive care unit is even smaller.

“People are fortunately not seeing very severe illness like before (during the pandemic),” said Ellison. 

The latest numbers from the State Department of Public Health show 22 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations in the UMass Memorial Health system, including two patients in the ICU, as of last Wednesday. 

Statewide, there is a noticeable rise in confirmed COVID infections, deaths and hospitalizations. But it’s nothing remotely like the peak periods during the pandemic. 

● 2,700 confirmed COVID cases for the week leading up to last Wednesday, and 19 deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health. 

● That compares to 558 cases over the course of one week in early July, and two confirmed deaths in one week in late August. 

● Hospitalizations numbered 353 for the week ending last Wednesday, compared to 112 for one week in early July. 

UMass Memorial employees bringing COVID to work

The two omicron variants, EG.5 and FL.1.5.1, are tied to a “fivefold” jump in the number of UMass Memorial workers who contracted COVID-19 since late June, said Ellison. The source of those infections originates from outside the hospital, he said, and employees are bringing the virus to work.

In late August, UMass instituted a mask mandate for all staff that work directly with patients in all licensed clinical areas to combat the higher infection numbers. At the time, UMass said it would review the policy in four weeks, with the possibility it could be amended sooner if there was an upswing in COVID cases. 

Ellison said the policy has not changed since it went into effect, but that is standard practice to give the policy time to play out. 

New COVID-19 vaccine: ‘Get it’

This marks the national rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna. They were recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Ellison supports the CDC’s recommendation that anyone over the age of 6 months who is eligible for the inoculation should get it.  

“I strongly encourage all patients that I see to get the (updated) vaccine,” said Ellison, not only to protect themselves but also their loved ones. Ellison added that vaccination will also protect the elderly and those with compromised immune systems due to chronic heart and lung disease. Plus, patients on dialysis and undergoing treatment for cancer. 

Most private and public insurance plans will cover the cost of the new vaccine. For the millions of uninsured and underinsured adults, the CDC’s Bridge Access Program is expected to cover vaccine costs through the end of December 2024.

Will the public get the shot?

Precedent might indicate that the new vaccine could be a tough sell to the public. A paltry 17% of the U.S. population got the bivalent booster that hit the market last September that offered protection against the original COVID virus and two omicron strains.

In Massachusetts, the rate of bivalent vaccination rate stands at 30%. 

“I hope people will think more seriously (about the new updated vaccine),” said Ellison, repeating his assertion that the shot will protect not only those that get it but also the people around them. 

Contact Henry Schwan at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.